Judai
by The Elemental Shark
Summary: Yubel and Judai. Partners. Just the two of them, together. Perfect...right?


Notes: Spoilers through episode 130, be warned. I've tried to keep this as canon as I can, though I'm still kind of fuzzy on what happens to Yubel when the capsule's launched into space (and it probably shows).

Summary: Yubel and Judai. Partners. Just the two of them, together. Perfect...right?

Disclaimer: I don't own Yu-gi-oh GX.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

**Judai**

All of a sudden Yubel is awake, and the delighted cries of a young child fill the world.

"Wow! Yu-be-ru. Yubel. This card is so cool! Thanks, Dad!"

"Happy birthday, Judai."

_Judai._ Yubel's mind begins to wake up with the spirit, and soon _Judai_ echoes throughout it endlessly. _Judai_ has woken Yubel up; they are to be partners. The two of them are meant to be a pair, a perfect pair.

Yubel appears to him the next day. Judai's reaction is one of awe and wonder, and he seems as fascinated with Yubel as Yubel is with him. "Y-you're Yubel," he stammers. "D-dad's gift. You're a card! But…"

Gently Yubel explains about spirits in the cards and how the right partner can awaken them, but Judai doesn't seem to fully understand. After a few failed attempts, they both come to an unspoken but mutual decision to stop trying. Their bond, however, remains.

Judai is still very young, but Yubel has only awakened recently, so in a way Yubel is young too. As Judai learn about the world around him, Yubel learns along with him, and they are still learning about each other all the meanwhile. Yubel has more to learn than Judai than he does, because he has a family and friends while Yubel is alone as a spirit. Yubel doesn't mind, though. Having Judai for a partner alone is enough.

Judai finally ventures to try and play Yubel a month later, but a quick action on his opponent's part negates the summon. Judai is upset, but his opponent, one of Judai's neighbors, presses him to continue. "It's only a card," he insists. "It's not like it's that important."

"But Yubel's special!" Judai protests, and inwardly Yubel, watching from behind Judai, _glows_. "Yubel's my friend, my special present from Dad! That's not _just_ a card!"

His neighbor rolls his eyes, mutters "It's a card," and yanks the card right out of his hand, slapping it roughly onto Judai's Graveyard pile. Yubel lets out a strangled screech, disappearing into the Graveyard, and Judai quickly sweeps the card up again, calling Yubel's name.

"It's okay, Judai," Yubel assures him from the Graveyard. "I'm not hurt."

Judai quickly wins the duel, and as soon as his neighbor is gone he's clutching the card again and peppering Yubel with questions. It's a full minute before he starts to calm down, and although it might be wrong Yubel can't help the bubbly happiness welling up inside at knowing _Judai cares this much_.

Weeks pass, and one day at Judai duels Tsuyoshi, a new boy a few years older than himself. Tsuyoshi is better than Judai, and he knows it. He insults Judai, mercilessly criticizing even the best of his moves. By the time the duel is over and Tsuyoshi's won, Judai's nearly reduced to tears.

Tsuyoshi tosses another insult at Judai before getting up to leave, and for Yubel that's the last straw. Yubel glowers at him, itching to hurt him but holding back for fear of upsetting Judai—and Tsuyoshi trips over nothing, sprawling out on the floor.

Judai rushes over to him, hurriedly asking if he's okay. Tsuyoshi only pushes him aside and stomps out, grumbling. Yubel says nothing, only staring at the door after Tsuyoshi and wondering, _Did _I_ do that?_

Yubel is quick to experiment with these newfound abilities. Those who upset Judai pay for their crimes, and despite Yubel's efforts to show that nobody goes unpunished, Judai's friends and classmates only shun him and mistreat him even more.

"Why don't they like me anymore?" Judai asks Yubel one lonely day at home. "I didn't do anything to hurt people. But they all say bad things about me, and I don't like it."

"If they're so bad to you, then they're not good enough for you," Yubel tells Judai. This only upsets him further, though, and Yubel has to scramble to try and soothe him.

"It's okay, Judai, it's okay," Yubel assures him, kneeling down in front of him. "You'll always have me. I'll always be there with you, forever…" Yubel smiles at him, resting a hand on his shoulder.

Yubel wants to hug him, or kiss his cheek like Judai's parents do, but holds back out of nervousness. Judai doesn't seem to notice. He sees the hand and he smiles and he whispers, "Thank you, Yubel."

Someday, Yubel vows. Someday, the two of them will be brought truly together. They are partners; the only thing they really need is each other. Even if the rest of the world should shun and abandon Judai, Yubel will always remain by his side and protect him from the hurt…no matter what it takes.

Yubel continues to punish people after that, more relentless than ever. Eventually it goes what others might consider a little too far: Judai's neighbor, Osamu, is hospitalized following Yubel's revenge. When Judai visits Osamu there, Yubel attacks him again. All the trouble has upset Judai even further, and that is unacceptable.

Osamu's pain scares Judai, and in surprise he drops his deck. Yubel's card flutters down to the floor, and somehow it dawns on Judai. He realizes what Yubel's been doing, and that night he asks for it to stop.

"Yubel…please. Don't hurt anybody. I don't want people to get hurt." His eyes are wide and pleading, and looking at him it's difficult for Yubel not to give in.

"They deserved it," Yubel insists. "They hurt you."

"But you hurt _them._"

"That way, people will stop hurting you, and then I'll stop."

"_No!"_ Judai shakes his head, almost in tears now. "It's not right! Hurting people can't be right!"

It takes half an hour for him to calm down, and after upsetting Judai so much Yubel actually does think about stopping, for a little while. A few days later, though, another of Judai's opponents makes a comment that's too cruel to go unpunished.

The next day, Judai hears about a competition thrown by KaibaCorp, and rushes to design his own cards immediately. The delight with which he comes up with the drawings and their stories sparks a jealous flame inside Yubel, but not wanting to upset him again Yubel stays silent and tries to ignore the jealousy. They're just drawings, after all, and when Judai submits them he may not ever see them again. They're not worth the trouble.

A few days later, his card designs complete, Judai deposits the envelope containing the designs into the mailbox. He hesitates for a moment before taking a second, folded envelope from his pocket along with his deck. He shuffles through the deck, removing a single card.

Yubel's card.

"Judai?" Yubel's voice is curious, but the nervous quivering undertone is impossible to hide. "W-what…"

"I'm sorry, Yubel." Judai's voice is a bare whisper now, and the hand holding Yubel's card is shaking. "I'll see you again, right? I asked them to take care of you. When you get the energy of justice, find me again. I know you can."

He unfolds the envelope, and the recipient is shown: KaibaCorp. It all clicks into place. Judai is sending Yubel to KaibaCorp. Judai's sending Yubel into space, to get the "energy of justice."

Yubel might never see Judai again.

Eyes wet and hands trembling, Judai begins to place Yubel's card into the envelope. Yubel could stop it, maybe, but that would mean hurting Judai. Badly. And that was something far beyond what Yubel could do.

"_No!"_ Yubel cries in a last, desperate attempt to stop him. "Judai, no! Stop!" The card is in the envelope, and now he seals it. "Judai, please. I-I—"

The flap closes, but he can still hear Yubel's voice. "I love you…"

The envelope is stuffed in the mailbox, the door slams shut, and Yubel can hear the sounds of rapid footsteps and muffled sniffling. Judai's gone now.

What happens next is dim. People talk. Yubel's card is transferred around. A silver claw puts it in a capsule at last, and soon card and capsule are blasted into space. Yubel doesn't fight, at first in defeat and depression and then in patience and resolve.

Moping around won't do anything, Yubel's realized. Only through hard work and the right opportunities will Yubel ever see Judai again. And regardless of how much effort it could take, never seeing Judai again is not an option.

Yubel waits, and after a long time everything is white-hot and Yubel is more aware than ever before. New knowledge is suddenly flooding everywhere, even though Yubel doesn't know _how._

But Yubel's falling now, the capsule is falling. It's hot. It's too hot. It hurts. Yubel wants help, Judai's help.

"_Hot! Hot! Help me, Judai!"_

For a brief moment Yubel is fully solid. Solid and _burning._ Burning so much, Yubel's body is literally being burned up like wood. It's agony, and twice as torturous without Judai there.

The burning ceases, and not long after that the capsule crashes onto desolate, dead ground. Somehow, Yubel knows that the capsule has handed back on Earth, and that with time, somebody will come. Somebody with a great darkness in his heart.

Yubel waits. And soon, that somebody approaches. A lone man, in military clothing.

_Just like I predicted_.

Yubel's senses are buzzing now, and somehow the man's heart is as plainly visible as the barren land. There is a deep darkness inside the man's heart; driven by instinct and curiosity, Yubel probes further—a war. A baby. A boy. A truck.

_Ah._

With the right maneuvering and manipulation beginning with this man, there is still hope. Yubel can return to Judai fully recovered, no longer reduced to a shriveled arm. And then they can be partners once again.

Yubel begins to speak to the man.

_I'm coming, my dear Judai._


End file.
